U.S. Postal Service Faces Citations After OSHA Finds No Running Water, Inoperable Bathroom at Virginia Facility
An employee allegedly worked at the location for more than a month in these conditions, OSHA said.
- By Alex Saurman
- Feb 09, 2023
A lack of running water and a non-functional bathroom at one facility has left the U.S. Postal Service with citations.
On August 30, 2022, an allegation led OSHA to inspect the U.S. Postal Service facility in Chesapeake, Virginia, according to a news release. The agency discovered that water and sanitation bills were past due, going back to February 2022, and that the water had been turned off since July 2022. This left an employee without running water and a functional bathroom for over a month. The water supply was turned back on on August 31, 2022.
OSHA cited the U.S. Postal Service for one serious and one repeat violation and proposed $13,840 in penalties.
“Employers must ensure a safe and healthful workplace by making sure workers have access to water for drinking and sanitation," said OSHA Area Director Brian Rizzo in Norfolk, Virginia, in the news release. "U.S. Postal Service management responsible for this facility should have acted more quickly to protect employee health."
According to the citations, corrections were made during the inspection.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.